“How does the house get water, power, and the like? While we were on the ATV, I noticed there were translucent solar cells interspersed amongst the shrubbery, trees, and other areas where sunlight broke through the vegetation to gather power, but there has to be more, right?” Her crystal-blue eyes were alight with inquiry, waiting for me to respond. I’d been avoiding looking her directly in the eyes up until now and realized she held a great deal of emotions in her expressions, especially the eyes. While the water she was swimming in looked enticing, I would rather swim in the depths of her gaze.
I ran a hand through my short hair—I still hated how they’d cut it; I felt like a soldier again—and tried to clear my mind and force myself to focus on answering her questions.
I’d totally underestimated Erica’s powers of observation. Gathering my thoughts, I leaned forward and began explaining. “You’re quite attentive, but I guess it comes naturally with your parents being top-of-the-line operatives. You’re right; the majority of the power comes from the solar cells. We’re using up a portion of it with the house, but there are other solar-run generators located around the island to power the various docks and security equipment. What we don’t use gets stored in reserves for a short time.”
Her brows furrowed in thought. “But what happens when you have storms in the summer months? Some can last several hours, while others, especially those tropical in nature, can last several days.”
Laughing and shaking my head at her keen sense of detail, I pulled out the map and showed her the locations of the generators. “See these marks here? They indicate the ones that power the security systems on the outer rims of the island, and here,” I pointed to the very pool of water she was swimming in, “there’s a hidden waterwheel, only visible if you’re looking in the right area.”
I stood up, thankfully no longer sporting the wood in my pants, and extended a hand. “Here, let me show you; it might explain things better. Besides, it’s time for you to get out and dry off so we can head back to the house.”
With the use of my hand to give her balance, she didn’t hesitate to pull herself out of the water. Once out, she ran in place a bit to shake the water from her body. I quickly diverted my eyes, because I didn’t want to have the vision of her in a skimpy outfit with those luscious breasts bouncing up and down with each step. I could imagine my hands wrapping around her succulent, naked breasts, while I… Stop it! Don’t go there with your mind. Think of a block of ice down your pants. What was she trying to do, kill me with a massive set of blue balls? Though I will say that being hard for someone wouldn’t be a bad way to go.
“Lead the way, captain.” Her words rang out, causing me to spin around quickly and grab her arms to stop her in place.
“Don’t EVER call me that again. I left the military for a reason. I don’t need you reminding me of my…” It was the fear in her eyes and the shaking of her body that made me realize what I was doing. I was taking my frustrations out on her. I’d had a flashback to my last mission, of the fine soldiers I’d lost, to all the civilian lives lost, to the sounds of people crying out in pain when … Get your thoughts together quickly. You’re ruining this. You are the one in control of your life, not the visions of your past.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and pulled Erica close. “I’m sorry. I know there’s no excuse for yelling at you. Let’s just say that I’d like to leave my past behind me, so please don’t refer to me as captain again.”
Erica pulled back to look up at me; noticeable tears rimmed her eyes. She looked defeated, which was all my doing. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know. I’ll try to watch what I say around you.”
The playful and inquisitive moment between us had ended, and with it, I felt a piece of my heart might have been crushed too. Why did I have to be such a fucking jerk? Why couldn’t I just work past my hang-ups and live life again? I didn’t know when the answers would come. Hell, I didn’t know what one second to the next would bring, but one thing was for sure: I didn’t want Erica scared to talk with me.
I grabbed her hand. “Let’s go check out the top of the rock formation and the waterfall. I believe you seeing it in person will answer your questions.”
As we headed up the path to the top, I mumbled an apology. “Hey,” I playfully bumped into her arm to get her attention. “I’ll try to do better about controlling my temper, so don’t worry about what you can say or do around me. We can sit down later tonight or tomorrow and discuss what sets each of us off and try to establish some form of peace between us, since we’re going to be stuck here a while.”
She didn’t answer at first, only good-naturedly bumped me back in the arm, but then admitted, “I’d like that.”
At the top of the rock formation, I showed her a small opening that had been marked on the map. “See right there? If you push the flowers aside, you can see right down into it. There’s a huge waterwheel inside that’s building and storing energy into a hydraulic powered generator. It uses the falling water of the waterfall to power the wheel and store the energy to be used later. A portion of it stays here for the safe room, while the rest is transported to other generators located around the island.”
She started to ask why the wheel was hidden but got halfway through and realized the answer: so no one could see any inhabitants from the air.
Erica walked along the top of the formation like she was looking for something; although, I didn’t know for what. I admired how the sun made her hair shimmer, as if a halo were surrounding her in its warm glow. Her demeanor was definitely angelic, but her body was sin in that makeshift bikini. Dude, remember your promise: no touching that.
She stopped here and there several times taking in the environment, before finally pointing to something and asking, “This is a spring-fed waterfall and natural pool, isn’t it?”
When I nodded, she asked, “This is where we’re getting water for the house?” She had a question for everything and, somehow, figured out most of the answers before I could even elaborate. Most people would hate that, but not me. I was actually getting into her excitement. It was kind of cool how Liam had set his whole system up. The man was a freaking genius!
“Yes, but anything we use from taking a bath, flushing the toilet, or even from doing laundry goes into a septic system where the solids are removed to a separate tank where enzymes take care of most of the solid waste that sinks to the bottom. Anything chemical in nature along with grease, oils, and fats, float to the top and are purified with a system Liam created and is trying to market. Anything in the middle layer is sent through a leaching system and back into the ground. I don’t know all the ins and outs of how it all works, but I did do a lot of reading about the house while you were asleep to get the gist of it.”
To be honest, I’d read as much as I could about the place we were staying, not only to get an idea of the security measures in place and how to use them, but I wanted to know how an off-the-grid house in the middle of nowhere had all the amenities of one on the mainland. The breeze was definitely plentiful on the island, so Mr. Teckraff could easily harness the wind, but that would be hard to conceal. The man was definitely talented in his ability to design and create things. During my conversation with Rick, he revealed that most of the technology used on the island wasn’t available on the market, with exception of the advances he made with the septic system. Liam was holding on to it for his use only and maybe a select number of friends or members of Titan.
We were taken by surprise with a crash of thunder coming from the south of us. I looked above the tree line and noted dark clouds rolling in quickly. We had a nice summer storm headed our direction and needed to get back to the house before it hit. The idea of being amongst trees during a lightning storm didn’t sit well with me. For that matter, the bright fulmination mixed with the loud clap of thunder brought back bad memories of war zone noises over in Afghanistan. I needed to get somewhere safe and do anything that would keep my mind off this freaking storm. I
couldn’t let Erica see my weakness. Thanks to Dr. Bradford’s sessions, the severity in which I reacted to the storms had lessened considerably, but the noises still triggered PTSD issues if I didn’t keep my mind occupied.
I looked over to where Erica last stood, but she was gone. “Hey, where did you go? We need to get out of here and fast.”
Her words were rushed and muddled as she quickly climbed down the rock formation and ran over toward her clothes. She seemed nearly out of breath and was shaking like a leaf. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a woman dress so quickly. I wondered if she had issues with storms too?
Walking up next to her, I grabbed our packs, slinging one over the back of me and one over the front. Just then, another flash of light and rumble of thunder crisscrossed the quickly darkening sky.
We both startled and ducked, as if we could actually escape nature’s elements. My hand fell to Erica’s lower back as I pushed her along. “I need to get you back to the house quickly. Keep moving in a straight line until I tell you to change directions. Now go; I’ll be right behind you.”
Without delay, Erica took off running. I followed a few steps behind telling her, when necessary, to watch out for the tree limbs in front of her or to watch out for the rock coming up on her left. She took direction like a pro and jumped over things while keeping up a good pace.
Normally, I wouldn’t have placed her in front of me where I could see her heart-shaped ass bouncing along the trail, but at this moment, I wanted the hell out of these trees. I knew she’d be able to run faster without the weight of the backpack, and it wouldn’t slow me down any, since I was used to running with a full pack through rough terrain in the military.
We made it to the house in record time, right as the rain started pouring down, soaking us completely through. I shucked off my shirt and boots, leaving them by the door, before taking off for the downstairs bathroom to see if I could grab a couple of towels.
I came back with a couple of oversized beach towels and found Erica—only wearing boy shorts—bent over at the waist removing her hiking boots. She started to turn around, so I held up the towel and turned my head. “Here’s a towel for you. Please wrap it around yourself quickly.” I hated that my voice came out husky and low. Hopefully, with the noise of the rain coming down, she wouldn’t notice my tone. I hastily wrapped my towel around my waist, not even bothering to take off my pants, since I was now sporting another erection, thanks to her tantalizing body.
She moved past me, brushing against the front of me with her back, on her way into the kitchen. Was she trying to kill me? Did she feel my hardness as she glided by me?
“I’m going to go change into something dry. Would you like me to cook something for dinner or maybe play a game while we wait for the storm to pass?” Her eyes looked down toward the floor; her hands fidgeted in front of her. “I’m not good with storms. I was nearly hit by lightening once, and I…” I noted any time her eyes dared to lift toward me, they seemed to focus in on my crotch, leaving me no doubt she felt how much her presence turned me on.
We might have come to this island for different reasons, but I suddenly realized we were more alike than I wanted to believe. I just shook my head and smiled. “Dinner and a game sounds good, but let’s cook together.” I swallowed hard, not wanting to let her see the cracks that were just below my surface, as they were plentiful, but I finally admitted, “I have my own reasons, but I’m not a fan of storms either. Anything to keep us both busy is okay with me.” I hope she didn’t read into my last statement, since there was a double entendre.
I was glad Jonas hadn’t asked me to explain my fear of thunderstorms. I hated lying to him about the lightning, but I didn’t think he wanted to hear how thugs had hit the safe house my family and I were in, because they were trying to get to my parents, which caused us to assume new identities. Granted, I’d only been four or five at the time, but I remembered the flash of light and the sound of the explosions from the materials they’d used to blow open our front door, along with the high pitch of the guns.
I’d gotten over my fear of guns after some therapy and my parents insistence that I know how to use one properly to defend myself. However, I still hated loud noises, especially thunder.
I quickly put on yoga pants and a t-shirt, and then went downstairs, finding the kitchen empty. I began looking through the refrigerator and the pantry and decided on steak, potatoes, sautéed onions, and a tossed salad.
“Wow, something smells delicious.” Jonas’s words startled me, causing me to jump and, therefore, drop the tongs I was using to turn the steaks.
Catching my breath, I watched as he picked up the tongs and took them over to the sink to rinse them, before handing them back to me. “Sorry.” He offered.
When the heck had he come back into the kitchen? I didn’t know how to broach his stealth moves, but they scared the shit out of me. “You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s a small bell or something of the like lying around this house?”
His eyebrows furrowed. “A bell? What do you need that for?”
Using the palm of my hand, I playfully slapped at his chest. “For you, silly, to let me know when you’re in the area. You know you’ve scared the shit out of me twice now.” I held two fingers up in front of his face for added emphasis.
He swatted my hand out of his face. “Sorry. I can’t do anything right, can I?” I expected him to be playful, not remorseful. I’d definitely taken a step in the wrong direction with Jonas. Taking a deep breath in, he offered, “What if I announce that I’m entering the room to give you a heads up? Would that work?”
I looked back at the stove to check the status of the steaks and onions. I couldn’t face him head on, knowing I’d hurt his feelings. “Yes. I’d like that. Thank you. And by the way, you’re doing just fine. We’re not used to one another, so I think we should talk and figure out what our quirks are.” I hope that came off as sincere and not that I was trying to psychoanalyze him. Jonas had obvious issues; he might have thought he was hiding them, but he wasn’t. Then again, I had my own set of problems. The only way to resolve them was to work through them, something easier said than done.
I flipped both of the steaks in the pan, and then remembered I hadn’t asked how he wanted his cooked. “How do you like your beef?”
“Medium to medium-well is good with me. Thanks.” He looked deep in thought for a second, before asking, “How did you know I’d like steak?”
I cringed a bit, realizing I’d have to tell that I knew a little more about him than he knew about me. “Your sister loves to tattle on you. She’s always complaining that every time you visit her, Jackson, and the kids, she tries to cook you other things, but you continually request steak.”
Jonas’s smile reached his eyes for the first time as he broke out into a hearty laugh. I almost did a double take to make sure it was him. “My sister has a big mouth. I love Robin to pieces, but she’s not the greatest cook, so I always ask for steak, because she doesn’t seem to destroy them as much.”
Reaching around me, he grabbed the silverware and a couple of glasses. “What would you like to drink?”
I shrugged, not really caring. But now that I thought about it, that wasn’t true. I could go for something with a little alcohol in it to help ease the obvious tension that existed between us, along with the uneasiness this storm left me with. “Actually, I could really go for some alcohol. Anything you could recommend to go with dinner will be fine.”
I hoped we wouldn’t have to go through too many of these storms. My nerves were already on edge, and I was using cooking as a distraction to not think about my friends, about everything I’d seen, and especially not about the desire that was building inside of me to get to know Jonas better. He was a mystery, one I wanted to unravel, if only I could get through his defenses.
The meal was pleasurable. Neither one of us knew what to talk about, so we opted for a version of twenty questions. I was happy with the idea, as I wanted to ask so man
y things to understand Jonas better, but he quickly put some roadblocks in the way, stating we were able to decline answering up to five questions. So not fair!
The storm continued to rage outside, but, between the meal and the question game, its noise was almost inaudible. Jonas asked me the typical questions, starting with: “What’s your favorite color?”
I breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have a simple question. “My favorite color is a toss-up between royal blue and a medium shade of pink.
I countered and found out he enjoyed a lovely crystalline blue. What were the odds we’d share a similar taste in color. Girl, aren’t you paying attention? The color he mentioned is the same as your eyes. My subconscious mind was reading into the answer. It was possible he just happened to like that shade. Heck, the island was surrounded with water the same color.
Next Jonas asked, “Where did you grow up?”
I felt a little more at ease playing this game now. I answered honestly, given that most of Titan Security knew my family’s story. I guess Jonas didn’t have all the details yet, or didn’t care to know until now. “I was born on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA, but I don’t have much memory of my time in that state. I mainly remember my time in Crawfordville, a small town in the panhandle area of Florida.”
Being friends with his sister, Robin, I already knew he grew up in a small town outside of Austin, Texas, but I wanted to hear his response to see if he had happy memories or if he hated thinking about the past. His mournful eyes spoke volumes to me, more than any words could ever do. Note to self: his past was a touchy subject.
Jonas surprised me with his next question. “What do you like to do for fun?”
That was one answer I didn’t hesitate to discuss. “I read mainly. You name the book, I’ve probably read it, but I specifically enjoy an edge-of-your-seat romance packed with spine-tingling suspense.” I realized I’d revealed too much about myself the moment the words had left my mouth. So I amended, “I also like to watch a few movies—comedies, romance, and action flicks. Plus, I’m always up to trying something adventurous, anything to get my heart pumping.”
Jonas's Redemption: A Standalone Romantic Suspense (Titan Security Book 2) Page 9